Tag: Anthony Pettis

Joe Lauzon vs. Terry Etim Booked for UFC on Fox 4 in August


(Etim and Lauzon, seen here demonstrating the Tomax and Xamot effect.) 

Two lightweights will be looking to bounce back from horrific, nightmare-inducing losses and vie for the love of their malnourished alien overlord when Joe Lauzon takes on Terry Etim at UFC on Fox 4, which goes down on August 4th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The last time we saw Etim in action, he fell victim to, and in fact helped spawn the idea behind, the “Falling Tree” knockout, when he was leveled via a spinning heel-kick compliments of Edson Barboza at UFC 142. The fight was only Etim’s second in as many years, as he spent most of the 2010-2011 season nursing a rib injury that forced him out of a match with, you guessed it, Joe Lauzon, at UFC 118. He was replaced by Gabe Rudiger for that event, and we all know how that ended up. Etim finally made his return at UFC 138 in England, where he submitted Edward Faaloloto with a guillotine in just 16 seconds. The victory earned Etim his fourth “Submission of the Night” award in his ten fight career under the Zuffa banner.

Lauzon is also coming off a devastating head kick KO loss– his coming against top lightweight contender Anthony Pettis in their main card scrap at UFC 144. Prior to that, Lauzon had put together a two fight win streak over Kurt Warburton (via kimura) at UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry and Melvin Guillard (via rear-naked choke) at UFC 136. Lauzon has never lost two in a row in his UFC career, and Etim hasn’t since dropping back-to-back contests to Gleison Tibau and Rich Clementi at UFC 75 and 84, respectively.

I feel compelled to reiterate that the similarities between these two is nothing short of suspect. Both are coming off head kick knockout losses, both are SOTN savants, and both look like the offspring of Christopher Walken and a hairless Aye-Aye. Could it be that these two were separated at birth, destined to fight for the right to rule all of mankind somewhere down the road? Or are these mere coincidences? I suppose it all really depends on which type of person you are.

While you take a moment to reconsider everything your futile religion taught you to believe, join us after the jump for more fight booking news…


(Etim and Lauzon, seen here demonstrating the Tomax and Xamot effect.) 

Two lightweights will be looking to bounce back from horrific, nightmare-inducing losses and vie for the love of their malnourished alien overlord when Joe Lauzon takes on Terry Etim at UFC on Fox 4, which goes down on August 4th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The last time we saw Etim in action, he fell victim to, and in fact helped spawn the idea behind, the “Falling Tree” knockout, when he was leveled via a spinning heel-kick compliments of Edson Barboza at UFC 142. The fight was only Etim’s second in as many years, as he spent most of the 2010-2011 season nursing a rib injury that forced him out of a match with, you guessed it, Joe Lauzon, at UFC 118. He was replaced by Gabe Rudiger for that event, and we all know how that ended up. Etim finally made his return at UFC 138 in England, where he submitted Edward Faaloloto with a guillotine in just 16 seconds. The victory earned Etim his fourth “Submission of the Night” award in his ten fight career under the Zuffa banner.

Lauzon is also coming off a devastating head kick KO loss– his coming against top lightweight contender Anthony Pettis in their main card scrap at UFC 144. Prior to that, Lauzon had put together a two fight win streak over Kurt Warburton (via kimura) at UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry and Melvin Guillard (via rear-naked choke) at UFC 136. Lauzon has never lost two in a row in his UFC career, and Etim hasn’t since dropping back-to-back contests to Gleison Tibau and Rich Clementi at UFC 75 and 84, respectively.

I feel compelled to reiterate that the similarities between these two is nothing short of suspect. Both are coming off head kick knockout losses, both are SOTN savants, and both look like the offspring of Christopher Walken and a hairless Aye-Aye. Could it be that these two were separated at birth, destined to fight for the right to rule all of mankind somewhere down the road? Or are these mere coincidences? I suppose it all really depends on which type of person you are.

While you take a moment to reconsider everything your futile religion taught you to believe, take a gander at these fight booking rumors…

Although it has yet to be confirmed, word has it that Mark Munoz will square off against Chris Weidman at either the aforementioned UFC on Fox 4 event or UFC 149, which is tentatively scheduled for June 21st in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Munoz has put together four straight since dropping a number one contender match to Yushin Okami at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko, most recently dispatching Chris Leben via second round TKO due to cuts at UFC 138. Weidman is fresh off what should have been an upset victory over Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2 back in January. Despite taking the fight on just a couple weeks notice, Weidman was listed as a favorite over Maia, proving that Vegas bookies have better intel than the Goddamn CIA.

The UFC’s first trip to Calgary will host the rematch between TUF 11 veterans Court McGee and Nick Ring. These two first met on episode 6, with Ring emerging victorious by way of majority decision. When CP guest blogger Rich Attonio was forced to withdraw from the competition, Dana White awarded the open spot to McGee, likely due to how pissed off coach Chuck Liddell was at the decision that cost McGee his spot on the show. After McGee’s return, a rematch was scheduled but just as quickly canceled after Ring opted to leave the show to rehab a long recurring knee injury.

In their respective UFC runs, McGee managed to string together three straight against Kris McCray (to win the TUF 11 trophy), Ryan Jensen, and Dongi Yang before falling by way of UD to Constantinos Philippou at UFC on FX 2. Ring, on the other hand, managed to sneak away with a decision over Riki Fukuda at UFC 127 and beat down James Head at UFC 131 before running into the unstoppable beast that is the middleweight version of Tim Boetsch at UFC 135, where he suffered his first professional loss via unanimous decision.

Finally, UFC 149 will feature the Bobby Riggs of MMA, Bryan Caraway, taking on undefeated promotional newcomer Mitch Gagnon. Try to contain your excitement.

-J. Jones

Should Anthony Pettis Drop Down to Challenge Aldo?

In today’s MMA landscape, fighters are changing weight classes more than ever and for a myriad of reasons. When the UFC introduced the featherweight division, a flood of title-chasing and unsuccessful lightweights filled the division.So when a fighter …

In today’s MMA landscape, fighters are changing weight classes more than ever and for a myriad of reasons. When the UFC introduced the featherweight division, a flood of title-chasing and unsuccessful lightweights filled the division.

So when a fighter refuses to drop down just to chase a title, it’s commendable to see someone stick it out in their division. However, in a case like Anthony Pettis, is he making the right decision?

Pettis, a former No. 1 contender by virtue of winning the WEC lightweight championship, has already lost out on one opportunity to vie for the 155-pound strap when he elected to fight Clay Guida rather than sit around and wait for the Gray Maynard-Frankie Edgar III winner.

Pettis lost that fight after being out-grappled by Guida throughout the fight. Pettis rebounded nicely with two impressive victories over Jeremy Stephens and Joe Lauzon.

After the impressive finish of Lauzon, as reported by Yahoo! Sports, Dana White speculated that Pettis could be in for a rematch with newly minted lightweight champion Benson Henderson. However, outcry for a rematch between Henderson and former champion Frankie Edgar prevailed, and Pettis was once again upstaged for a rematch.

Pettis is now left with the same situation: Should he wait for a title match or take on another opponent and risk falling down the ladder again?

Even if Pettis elects to wait, the winner of the upcoming bout between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz lurks as a serious threat to leapfrog him in the pecking order, so waiting is probably not a legitimate option.

This time a third option exists. Pettis could and perhaps should drop to 145 and challenge pound-for- pound lynchpin Jose Aldo.

While Pettis apparently has no interest in dropping and has been connected to rumors that he is a possible opponent for Gilbert Melendez for a future Strikeforce card, the appeal to leaving the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world is not apparent.

It would appear that that the most enticing option for Pettis would be to drop down to fight Aldo.

He would certainly be doing the UFC a favor.

Since coming over to the UFC from WEC, Aldo has been a dominant champion at 145, practically clearing out the division. A match with Hatsu Hioki is a possibility, but Pettis is a much more recognizable and intriguing matchup.

The upside is clear. A win gives him the UFC title that Pettis desires and could even set him up for a champion vs. champion superfight with whomever holds the lightweight belt at the time.

A loss probably does way less damage to Pettis’ standing in the lightweight division than losing to a fellow lightweight contender.

In essence, Pettis has everything to gain and very little to lose by dropping down to challenge Aldo.

While Pettis deserves respect for choosing to stay the course and earn his way to the title at his longtime weight division, is he really making the best choice for his career?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Anthony Pettis: ‘155 Is My Home, I’ll Get That Belt Soon’

Many felt that Anthony Pettis (15-2) deserved to be next in line for UFC gold after a huge head-kick in his victory over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144.Unfortunately for Pettis and his fanbase, that opportunity didn’t come. Instead, UFC president Dana White ann…

Many felt that Anthony Pettis (15-2) deserved to be next in line for UFC gold after a huge head-kick in his victory over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144.

Unfortunately for Pettis and his fanbase, that opportunity didn’t come. Instead, UFC president Dana White announced Frankie Edgar would get his much deserved rematch after being stripped of his title by fellow lightweight Benson Henderson.

As a result, many believed Pettis would make the transition to the featherweight division to challenge the current 145-pound champion Jose Aldo.

However, according to Pettis, that’s not the case at all.

Pettis recently revealed his plans of remaining at 155 pounds via Twitter, along with his hopes of capturing the lightweight title sooner rather than later.

 

 

With any rumors now shot down, it’s unclear what will be next for the rising star. Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will be squaring off in the main event at UFC on FOX 3 to kick off the month of May.

With nothing set in stone, Pettis could be waiting longer than previously expected if the winner of Diaz vs. Miller catapults him with an impressive showing.

Stay tuned for any updates on Anthony Pettis and the current lightweight dilemma.

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Anthony Pettis and the 10 Flashiest Fighters in MMA

Being flashy in any sport does not automatically make you good. Being flashy in mixed martial arts, on the other hand, dazzles fans and allows fighters to use their creativity to win fights.Being flashy, whether it’s striking or grappling, does not mea…

Being flashy in any sport does not automatically make you good. Being flashy in mixed martial arts, on the other hand, dazzles fans and allows fighters to use their creativity to win fights.

Being flashy, whether it’s striking or grappling, does not mean that the use of power strikes is needed. The use of creative—or “flashy”—moves allows the element of surprise, which could lead to finishes.

Here are 10 of the flashiest fighters in mixed martial arts.

Begin Slideshow

Cesar Gracie Says Pettis or Penn Might Challenge Melendez Next


(“No rematch for you, Punk”)

According to Gilbert Melendez’s trainer, Cesar Gracie, the UFC are in talks to have either former UFC lightweight champ BJ Penn or former WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis challenge his charge for his Strikeforce strap next.

Gracie informed TATAME of the development today.

“Melendez’s situation is complex right now. We still don’t have an opponent, date or place set. They said he could fight in San Jose but it’ll probably change. They mentioned Josh Thomson but then said it was not going to happen”, Gracie explained.“I spoke to [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva and he told me maybe some UFC fighters will go to Strikeforce. We would really like to see him fighting Pettis or BJ, but we are still not sure about what’s going to happen.”

Given that “Showtime” mentioned yesterday that he is considering dropping down to featherweight to challenge Jose Aldo in the near future, it would seem that the UFC brass are leaning towards “The Prodigy” for the bout. It would make sense since Penn has been uncharacteristically mum about his fighting future since his last fight and likely would have been mulling over the offer to swing over to the UFC’s sister promotion, considering how much less promotion and exposure it gets.


(“No rematch for you, Punk”)

According to Gilbert Melendez’s trainer, Cesar Gracie, the UFC are in talks to have either former UFC lightweight champ BJ Penn or former WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis challenge his charge for his Strikeforce strap next.

Gracie informed TATAME of the development today.

“Melendez’s situation is complex right now. We still don’t have an opponent, date or place set. They said he could fight in San Jose but it’ll probably change. They mentioned Josh Thomson but then said it was not going to happen”, Gracie explained.“I spoke to [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva and he told me maybe some UFC fighters will go to Strikeforce. We would really like to see him fighting Pettis or BJ, but we are still not sure about what’s going to happen.”

Given that “Showtime” mentioned yesterday that he is considering dropping down to featherweight to challenge Jose Aldo in the near future, it would seem that the UFC brass are leaning towards “The Prodigy” for the bout. It would make sense since Penn has been uncharacteristically mum about his fighting future since his last fight and likely would have been mulling over the offer to swing over to the UFC’s sister promotion, considering how much less promotion and exposure it gets.

Melendez confirmed in a recent interview that reps from Zuffa indicated that he would no longer be facing Josh Thomson, who was thought to be his next opponent.

Another name that has been mentioned as an opponent for “El Nino” is Tyson Griffin, who was quietly suspended by Zuffa for failing a post-fight drug test for marijuana after his UFC 123 loss to Nick Lentz. Although it would create an interesting storyline since Griffin once trained under Gracie before leaving for Xtreme Couture, it’s unlikely considering he is 1-4 in his last five outings and rumor has it he’s been dropped by the UFC.

We’ll have more news on Melendez’s next opponent as it becomes available.

FOTY Alert: Anthony Pettis Considering a Drop to 145 to Face Jose Aldo


(For just three cents a day, you can help provide this child with everything he needs to earn a title shot.) 

You’ve got to understand Anthony “Showtime” Pettis‘ frustration. After winning the final WEC Lighweight Championship by defeating current UFC Lightweight Champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson back at WEC 53, many believed he would be on the short list of contenders to face then UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. When Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard less than a month after WEC 53, Pettis’ title hopes would be put on the backburner. A UD loss via dry humping and shoulder-strikes to Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June of 2011 would all but completely derail those championship aspirations.

Cut to February of 2012. After defeating Maynard via fourth round TKO in their rematch, Edgar would face off against arguably his toughest challenge to date, former WEC champion Ben Henderson, who was riding a four fight win streak since losing to Pettis. The event was UFC 144, and kicking off the main card would be an intriguing match-up between Pettis and Joe Lauzon. “Showtime” would live up to his nickname, steamrolling Lauzon with a head kick knockout in just under two minutes, and Henderson would clearly defeat Edgar by unanimous decision. Though Pettis had only scored two straight in the octagon, Dana was damn near forcing Edgar to drop to 145 and face Jose Aldo, so it seemed as if we were destined for Pettis/Henderson II.

But then, it happened. Out of nowhere, Edgar was granted a rematch with Henderson, and Pettis once again found himself screwed out of yet another title shot, against a man he had beaten in a title fight nonetheless. So perhaps the recent comments made by “Showtime’s” manager are not without merit. Here’s what Ariel Helwani said during an episode of UFC tonight after speaking with Pettis’ manager:


(For just three cents a day, you can help provide this child with everything he needs to earn a title shot.) 

You’ve got to understand Anthony “Showtime” Pettis‘ frustration. After winning the final WEC Lighweight Championship by defeating current UFC Lightweight Champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson back at WEC 53, many believed he would be on the short list of contenders to face then UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. When Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard less than a month after WEC 53, Pettis’ title hopes would be put on the backburner. A UD loss via dry humping and shoulder-strikes to Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June of 2011 would all but completely derail those championship aspirations.

Cut to February of 2012. After defeating Maynard via fourth round TKO in their rematch, Edgar would face off against arguably his toughest challenge to date, former WEC champion Ben Henderson, who was riding a four fight win streak since losing to Pettis. The event was UFC 144, and kicking off the main card would be an intriguing match-up between Pettis and Joe Lauzon. “Showtime” would live up to his nickname, steamrolling Lauzon with a head kick knockout in just under two minutes, and Henderson would clearly defeat Edgar by unanimous decision. Though Pettis had only scored two straight in the octagon, Dana was damn near forcing Edgar to drop to 145 and face Jose Aldo, so it seemed as if we were destined for Pettis/Henderson II.

But then, it happened. Out of nowhere, Edgar was granted a rematch with Henderson, and Pettis once again found himself screwed out of yet another title shot, against a man he had beaten in a title fight nonetheless. So perhaps the recent comments made by “Showtime’s” manager are not without merit. Here’s what Ariel Helwani said during an episode of UFC Tonight after speaking with Pettis’ manager:

I spoke to Anthony’s manager just a few hours ago and he told me that he was really disappointed, but he respects the decision. He would consider going down to 145 to fight Aldo. This is definitely something to monitor.

Something to monitor, indeed. If Pettis were to drop to 145, you’ve got to imagine he would be granted a title shot off the bat. Yes, the upcoming match between Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier has title implications written all over it, but aside from that, the current 145 pound division is rather vacant in terms of title challengers. And let’s be honest, a fight between Pettis and Aldo would not only be a huge test for both men, but a potential fight of the year candidate as well.

It simply makes too much sense, both in terms of marketing and the 145 lb. division, for this fight not too happen. Sure, Pettis hasn’t fought in the division before, but Ronda Rousey proved that that stipulation is meaningless. And since Dana White is willing to grant undeserved immediate rematches out of sympathy, why not a title shot? It’s not like the UFC has established definite rules for what warrants one; look no further than Brock Lesnar for proof of this. I guess a lot is riding on whether or not the winner of the Poirier/Jung match is able to walk away unscathed, but in the meantime, why not match these two up, nawmsayin’?

Should Pettis drop to 145? And if so, do you think he should get an immediate title shot, or perhaps a tune up fight against an Eric Koch-type fighter? If I were to guess, I’d say Pettis wouldn’t want to risk missing out on another shot, so this drop is only happening if he’s guaranteed a shot at Aldo. If so, prepare for a barnburner, Potato Nation.

-J. Jones